Inside the village committee office, a dim kerosene lamp flickered on the wooden table, casting the shadows of three people long and wavering against the mottled earthen wall.
The wick occasionally crackled softly, its faint “pitter-patter” sound strikingly clear in the silence of the room.
Shen Nanchu sat on an old wooden chair, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, producing a dull “thud-thud” sound.
Wang Jianguo and Zheng Tongwei sat on either side of her, their shadows intertwining on the wall.
Wang Jianguo kept rubbing his rough palms, sweat soaking his hands, occasionally glancing up at the pitch-black night outside the window.
Zheng Tongwei sat upright, his brows tightly furrowed, fingers unconsciously tracing the edges of his notebook.
“I’ve questioned every villager today. Nothing unusual came up,” Wang Jianguo finally broke the silence, his voice tinged with anxiety.
He grabbed the enamel cup on the table and took a big gulp of water. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as water dripped from his chin onto his faded blue cotton shirt.
Shen Nanchu remained silent, only slightly lifting her eyelids.
Under the lamp’s glow, her eyelashes cast a small shadow on her face.
In front of her lay several notebooks, densely filled with numbers and names.
“Chu, what do we do now?” Wang Jianguo asked desperately, the deep wrinkles on his forehead like furrows plowed into a field.
At last, Shen Nanchu looked up. Her eyes gleamed brilliantly in the lamplight.
She had carefully inspected the rabbits and discovered the root of the problem.
The faint sour smell lingering in the rabbit shed, along with several rabbits listlessly weak, all pointed to something more complicated than it seemed.
“It’s not too serious,” Shen Nanchu said calmly, her voice flowing gently like a mountain stream.
“From tonight until 8 a.m. tomorrow morning, don’t feed the rabbits anything—just give them water.”
She pulled a small packet of powdered medicine from her pocket and pushed it toward Wang Jianguo.
“This needs to be dissolved in their water.”
This medicine was exchanged from her system space, costing her 1000 disgust points!
The person behind this mischief was truly despicable.
Wang Jianguo carefully accepted the packet, his rough fingers pinching the thin paper as if afraid to tear it.
“Tomorrow morning, just feed the rabbits Timothy hay,” Shen Nanchu added, tracing a circle on the table with her finger.
Wang Jianguo blinked in surprise, then scratched his calloused head. “Timothy hay? What’s that?”
“It’s cat-tail grass,” Shen Nanchu explained with a faint smile, using a more familiar term.
Suddenly, the wind outside picked up, making the wooden window creak. A few fallen leaves were tossed against the window frame by the gusts.
Wang Jianguo slapped his thigh in realization. “Oh! Cat-tail grass! Got it. I’ll tell the villagers to only cut cat-tail grass for the rabbits tomorrow.”
He was about to stand, and the wooden chair groaned under his weight.
A flicker of doubt crossed Zheng Tongwei’s eyes.
“The rabbits seemed fine during the day,” he said softly but clearly, “why are they acting strange tonight?”
Wang Jianguo nodded and sat back down.
That was exactly what he had been wondering.
Outside, a few dog barks pierced the quiet night, sounding unusually sharp in the stillness.
Shen Nanchu’s fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, the rhythm neither hurried nor slow.
“The rabbit ate the wrong oxalis,” she explained, pulling a withered oxalis stalk from her pocket and placing it on the table.
The stem had started to yellow, but the distinctive three heart-shaped leaves were still clearly visible.
She had found it among the leftover grass the rabbit had eaten.
Hearing it was a case of mistaken ingestion, Wang Jianguo and Zheng Tongwei finally relaxed.
Wang Jianguo let out a long breath, his shoulders visibly easing.
“That’s a relief. I’ll make sure the villagers in charge of feeding them pay closer attention.”
He reached for his pipe, but catching Shen Nanchu’s gaze, he sheepishly put it back down.
Zheng Tongwei, however, caught the crucial detail. His slender fingers gently tapped the oxalis on the table.
“One rabbit eating the wrong grass might be an accident, but all the rabbits eating the wrong grass?”
His voice was soft, yet it hit like a stone thrown into a still lake.
An occasional mishap is one thing, but too many means it’s no accident.
The room fell silent for a moment, save for the faint “hiss” of the kerosene lamp burning.
Shen Nanchu smiled, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.
This was exactly why she enjoyed dealing with clever people.
No need to rack her brain over every little thing.
Her fingertips traced lightly over the oxalis leaves, feeling the tiny fuzz on their surface.
Wang Jianguo also sensed the gravity of the situation. He suddenly stood up, the chair scraping harshly against the floor.
“I know this oxalis well. Tomorrow, I’ll personally supervise the grass cutting.”
His voice was laced with restrained anger, tightening every wrinkle on his face.
“No need,”
Shen Nanchu shook her head gently, a stray lock of hair slipping behind her ear.
She tucked it back with an elegant, composed gesture.
“No need to alarm the snake.”
She wasn’t the type to wait defensively, sword in hand.
She preferred to strike first and let the enemy walk right into her trap.
Moonlight filtered through the window lattice, casting mottled shadows on the floor.
“Just make sure you remember who cut what grass.”
Her voice was soft but carried an undeniable authority.
Her gaze drifted outside, where a bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a cold, clear light.
She was determined to unmask whoever was behind this sabotage.
Her fingertips traced the edge of the table, leaving a faint mark.
Under the lamp’s glow, the lines of her profile looked especially resolute.
......
The next morning, just as dawn began to pale the eastern sky,
Under the old locust tree at the village entrance,
Wang Jianguo and Zheng Tongwei were already standing, each holding a list.
Wang Jianguo rubbed his hands together; his rough fingers tapped the list.
“Comrade Zheng, we have to keep a close eye today. No more slip-ups.”
His voice was grave.
Zheng Tongwei nodded.
“Yeah, cutting grass seems simple, but if someone’s deliberately causing trouble, it’s hard to guard against.”
His voice was soft but every word was clear.
In the distance, villagers were already walking toward the fields in small groups, each carrying a sickle. Their figures appeared vague and shadowy in the morning mist.
The two had clearly divided their responsibilities: Wang Jianguo was in charge of overseeing several plots at the east end of the village, while Zheng Tongwei kept an eye on the west end.
Today, they had specifically instructed everyone that the grass they cut must be carefully inspected—only foxtail grass was allowed, and all other types were strictly forbidden.
Wang Jianguo even demonstrated personally, plucking a stalk of foxtail grass to show everyone.
“Look closely. It has to be like this. Nothing else!” His voice echoed across the morning fields.
Yet, things took an unexpected turn.
As the sun climbed higher, the temperature steadily rose. By noon, the scorching sun beat down relentlessly, soaking everyone in sweat.
The back of Wang Jianguo’s blue cotton shirt was drenched, clinging to his skin.
When Wang Jianguo and Zheng Tongwei met by the grindstone at the village entrance, both wore grim expressions.
Wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, Wang Jianguo’s voice was low, “Comrade Zheng, how’s it on your side?”
Zheng Tongwei shook his head and pulled out a handful of grass from his pocket, spreading it open in his palm.
“Take a look. Almost everyone’s basket here has a few stalks of oxalis.”
His white shirt was soaked with sweat, sticking to his back.
Wang Jianguo frowned deeply and showed the handful he had collected.
“Same here.”
His voice carried fatigue and confusion.
They exchanged a glance, seeing in each other’s eyes the same mix of puzzlement and wariness.
Something was wrong.
Oxalis was common enough, but those who raised rabbits in the village knew well that rabbits couldn’t eat it. They always made sure to avoid it when cutting grass.
Moreover, today they had emphasized only foxtail grass was allowed.
Yet now, nearly everyone’s basket contained a few stalks of oxalis. This was clearly no coincidence.
Someone was deliberately sabotaging them.
Wang Jianguo’s hand clenched into a fist involuntarily, his nails digging painfully into the flesh of his palm.
Zheng Tongwei’s face grew darker, his eyes flickering with thoughtful light.
They reported the matter to Shen Nanchu.
She was sitting in a rocking chair in the courtyard, sunlight filtering through the grapevine trellis above, casting dappled shadows over her.
Upon hearing the news, she didn’t get angry. Instead, a smile curved her lips beautifully.
She held a stalk of oxalis between her fingers, gently twisting it. The sunlight shone through the leaves, casting soft shadows on her fingertips.
“Interesting.”
Shen Nanchu murmured softly, a trace of intrigue flashing in her eyes.
It had been a long time since she’d met an opponent with such a bit of cunning.
If this were a simple prank, they could have mixed poisonous plants into the grass. But instead, they chose oxalis—it wouldn’t actually harm the rabbits but would create trouble for the feeding work.
This was intentional harassment.
Moreover, the other side was clever. They didn’t just have one person do it; they made sure everyone “accidentally” cut oxalis. That way, even if it was discovered, they couldn’t pinpoint who was responsible.
But unfortunately for them, they were dealing with Shen Nanchu.
She rose from her chair, lightly brushing off an imaginary speck of dust from her clothes, a playful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
“If you like to play games, then I’ll play along.”
Her voice was soft but carried an unyielding authority.
